The Secrets We Hold
by AnimeFanGirl2223
Summary: Everyone has something to hide, but some things are less dark than others. When Sasuke and Naruto find out about each other's respective secrets, they come face to face with the harsh reality of their shinobi world all over again. Can they help one another, or will their revelations keep them apart? SasuNaru; Dark Themes: Depression/Cutting. Angst as usual!
1. Chapter 1

So, writer's block is absolutely killing me. In an attempt to get past it and/or give myself a creative boost, I'm just writing other stories!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

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The Secrets We Hold

Chapter 1

Naruto walked down the street to his apartment still full of energy and excitement from their last mission. Though it had eventually become A-Rank, the journey with Tazuna the bridge builder had thoroughly boosted his confidence in himself as a newly appointed Genin.

He made a point to stop by Ichirakus' to get his free bowl of ramen with the coupon he'd retrieved. As pumped as he was, there were two problems that were bothering him and he hoped his favorite food would help, though it only filled his empty stomach.

The first thing that was on his mind as he walked back to his lonely apartment was the immense power he had felt from the Nine-Tails. He knew it had ultimately saved him and Sasuke by giving him the strength to defeat Haku, but it came with a price. The rage and hatred that accompanied such chakra worried him, and he could see that Kakashi had kept a close eye on him ever since.

The Kyuubi's will had started to overtake his own, urging him to fight mercilessly, and destroy the person who he thought had killed his friend. He'd been able to stop his rampage at the last moment, preventing himself from delivering the final blow to the sad boy. But would he be able to curb that almost insatiable bloodlust again? Naruto honestly didn't know.

Then there was Sasuke himself, the blondes second and almost more concerning issue. Seeing his rival take what he believed to have been his final breath was what had unleashed such unchecked anger in the first place.

Naruto knew he had feelings for the Raven, and had since the first time he laid eyes on him when they were children. His crush had steadily grown throughout their time in the academy and had only gotten worse when they became teammates.

The blonde looked up at the night sky, the pale moon glowing like Sasuke's soft skin, the dark, starless night reflecting the boy's black empty eyes. If he wasn't careful, anything could remind him of his rival, constantly bringing his thoughts back to the stoic teen.

Naruto sighed as he opened his apartment and kicked the empty ramen cups out of his way. No matter which way his mind tried to twist it, he knew he'd almost lost control because Sasuke came so close to death.

The blonde picked up their team portrait and stared at the Raven's irritated face, knowing that he could have been staring at a fallen comrade's photo had anything gone differently.

After they had started to head home, he had almost told Sasuke how worried he'd been about him, but Sakura was latched onto his arm the whole way, and the Raven simply tossed his head and ignored him whenever he spoke, just like always.

Naruto growled softly and set the picture back on his nightstand and crawled under his messy covers. _"I can't ever lose it like that again. Sasuke would never want to be with me; he can't even acknowledge me as his friend or rival. It's obvious he thinks I'm weak, that I'm some nuisance that he happened to get stuck with during team formations."_

* * *

***Time-Skip: 1 Week***

Naruto stood on the bridge looking at the flowing water and waiting on his teammates to arrive. They were probably just going to spar today, and once again, he'd be paired with Sakura so Kakashi could train Sasuke. He was so focused on the glistening surface that he didn't notice the Raven's arrival.

"Are you sick dobe?" the elder asked, his voice bored.

The blonde blinked a few times in confusion but soon realized his hand was firmly pressed on his stomach. Naruto quickly yanked the appendage way from his torso and cursed himself; he'd been thinking about Kyuubi again.

"Even if I am sick, I'm still strong enough to take you on teme" he retorted, turning back to lean over the railing.

Sasuke snorted some, but came and stood next to him, their elbows almost touching. Naruto could feel the cold heat coming from the teen, and his stomach tightened. It took all his self-control not to look over at his crush; he was sure his eyes would give away how nervous he felt.

"So, you defeated Haku?" the Raven questioned.

"Yeah, what of it?" Naruto shot back. They hadn't been alone together since the incident, and even though it pained him, he had to admit that Sasuke was very smart. If he wasn't careful, his rival would find out what lurked inside his stomach and would hate him even more.

But the Raven didn't push further, he simply said 'hn' and stayed where he was until the other two arrived.

* * *

"Mah! Sorry I'm late, there was an elderly woman who needed help with her bags!" Kakashi chimed happily when he finally appeared. "Naruto, you work with Sakura on chakra control and Sasuke and I will continue to spar with his newly awakened Sharingan."

The blonde rolled his eyes but did as he was instructed. No matter how hard he tried it was like he couldn't get his own chakra to behave like it should, and Sakura would be the best to help. However, they were in clear view of the two sparing and it distracted him greatly.

Naruto had asked his pink-haired teammate about the visual prowess and was under the impression that it enhanced the wielders ability to predict an opponent's movements. But Sasuke was using his left leg for almost every defense and attack, even when it wasn't the best option.

Though he'd been using all his determination to forget the Raven, he couldn't stop his worry. Sasuke should have been all healed from their mission, and even if he wasn't, the teen never would have let something small impede his training.

* * *

With the sun starting to set, the four shinobi began to disperse. Sasuke walked slowly towards his apartment, still favoring his non-dominant leg ever so slightly. If Naruto didn't watch him so frequently, he'd never know that it was occurring.

The blonde had initially thought that Sasuke was trying to strengthen his left side, but now that they were not doing any training, there would be no reason for his shifted weight. After considering his options, Naruto went for the bold move like always.

"Hey, Sasuke! Wait up!" he shouted, running after the cold teen.

"What do you want dobe?" the Raven asked, giving him the usual glare.

Naruto glared back, but didn't lose his nerve, "is there something wrong with your leg?"

Surprise and fear crossed through Sasuke's dark eyes before he sent a punch straight into Naruto's cheek. "Just mind your own damn business loser" he growled lowly, stalking off directly after.

The blonde rubbed his bruised face and bit back his insults. It hurt him that whether he was being abrasive or considerate, Sasuke treated him equally as bad. Nothing he could do would change the outcome of their conversations, but he'd be damned if he let this go.

Whatever was wrong with the Raven was important enough for him to hide vehemently, and Naruto swore he'd get to the bottom of it.

This time, he followed Sasuke at a distance, using new stealth techniques he'd learned to hide his chakra, though the Uchiha was so upset he doubted he'd notice him anyway.

Naruto hopped up into a nearby tree when the Raven disappeared into his apartment complex and waited for him to walk by the window. But what he saw moments later disturbed him more than anything had previously, not even the villager's hurtful stares and words had made him feel so sick to his stomach.

* * *

***Time-Skip: 1 Month***

Naruto finished cleaning his apartment, doing his laundry and showering right as the sun began to rise in the pure blue sky. He could never sleep well during the month of October, and training at night was dangerous since he was the Kyuubi vessel. So instead, he'd done everything else under the moon to keep himself busy.

As he left his house, his mind once again went to Sasuke, and the scene he had witnessed just a month earlier. It went against his nature to not say something, but he knew all about dark secrets, and couldn't help but feel it wasn't his place to intervene.

"NARUTO!" Sakura shrieked, slamming her fist into his head. "You really are annoying you know that? I've been trying to get your attention since you stepped onto the bridge!"

The blonde rubbed his head tenderly and apologized until he noticed Sasuke was staring at him as well. He pulled his hair down farther to cover his eyes, pretending to still be nursing the large bump.

Sakura cleared her throat, "anyway, Kakashi left us a message that he won't be meeting us here today, but it has instructions for what we need to do."

Naruto took the paper from her hand and decided the world was created solely to spite him. He was supposed to spend the whole day with Sasuke, running various errands for villagers while Sakura completed her own alone in the woods.

"Ne, Sakura, do you want to switch with me? I can do your list if you want to go with Sasuke" Naruto offered.

Both of his teammates were surprised; they figured he'd insist on having Sasuke work on the solo list so he could be with Sakura, or at least start yammering about outdoing the Raven on their tasks.

He averted his deep blue eyes and rubbed the back of his head nervously, trying to find some reason for his behavior other than the truth.

"No Naruto, Kakashi left specific instructions for us to follow, and made sure to underline who we had to work with. This is probably just another one of his teamwork exercises so get used to it" Sasuke scolded.

* * *

The Uchiha kept a fast pace for the first hour of their walking, nearly knocking people over if they were unable to move out of his way quickly enough. Normally, Naruto would have called him a bastard, or questioned his behavior, but found that he couldn't.

Not only was he still deeply concerned for his rival, but tomorrow was his birthday, and the villagers were giving him nasty looks. He wouldn't dare call out the Uchiha in front of them right now, not when everyone's hatred was so inflamed from the anniversary of Kyuubi's attack.

The list Kakashi had given them mainly consisted of work to help get Konoha set up for the festival. The first task was to assist various shop owners with moving heavy items onto the street so they could be bought by people just walking by.

But every store they stopped at ended with Naruto being kicked out, leaving Sasuke to do most of the actual work. The Raven's irritation only seemed to increase with each new citizen they encountered until he finally couldn't stand it.

"Why did you try to switch with Sakura?" Sasuke asked, breaking the tense silence between the two.

"Because she likes you and I'm pretty sure I've vandalized all these places before so I would have been more help doing her list," Naruto replied.

"You've declared your feelings for Sakura endlessly and then pass up the opportunity to work with her? I don't believe it." The Raven pushed.

The blonde sighed deeply. "What's it to you?"

He dreamed of getting to hang out with Sasuke without having anyone else around to bother them, but now he was wishing that anyone, even Sakura, was there to hold his attention.

Sasuke stopped walking and gave Naruto the glare of a lifetime. He opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by a particularly intoxicated villager.

"Y-you *hiccup* demon! Ge-get out of *hiccup* Konoha!" the man screamed, throwing his empty bottle at the blonde.

Naruto tensed, but stood still as the glass connected with the back of his head and shattered, cutting the skin and dying the usually golden locks red. He almost flinched when Sasuke grabbed his wrist and pulled him over to an alleyway.

The Raven examined the gashes, his hand still tightly clasped to Naruto's arm. "What the hell was that about?" he hissed, carefully moving the hair around to get a better look.

The blonde shrugged and yanked himself out of the Uchiha's death grip. "Like I said, I messed up a bunch of these people's shops so they don't like me. Let's just get this over with okay?"

A vein in Sasuke's neck looked like it was just about to burst, "so you're a coward and a liar."

Naruto scoffed and pushed past him, only to have another, heavier, bottle come flying towards him. Again, he didn't attempt to dodge the attack, but the Raven pulled him backward, causing the glass to wiz past his head and explode on the wall.

"Come on dobe, we're going to my house to get your head cleaned up" Sasuke commanded, practically dragging him up the wall so that they could avoid the streets.

* * *

"I don't need your help Sasuke" Naruto explained when the Raven sat him down at his kitchen table.

The Uchiha ignored him and started looking through his hair for the cuts that he had noted needed stitches. To his shock, most of them were already healed, any embedded glass having been pushed out as well.

When Naruto felt his friend pause he gave a soft, humorless chuckle, "I told you, I'm fine. I've always recovered really quickly remember?"

"Stop lying to me Naruto!" Sasuke shouted, finally losing his temper. "You knew this was going to happen and that's why you tried to get Sakura to switch with you. Why were you attacked? Why do all the villagers always treat you like-"

"How about we don't get into things neither of us wants to talk about alright?" the blonde interrupted, sounding more down that usual. He stood and walked to the door, deciding he'd just return home and let his teammates finish their mission.

"It's because you have Kyuubi inside you, isn't it? That's what you've been hiding; that's why everyone thinks you're a demon." Sasuke asked quietly, his voice shaking some.

Naruto let go of the doorknob and slowly turned around to face his teammate. When he met Sasuke's accusing eyes, his own anger boiled to the surface. "Keep your damn mouth shut Uchiha, or I'll just spill your little secret too" he warned, pointing towards the elder's leg.

The Raven's face became unnaturally pale, understanding what the blonde was threatening to do. "You followed me home?" he questioned.

As soon as Naruto saw the fear in Sasuke's face, his defensiveness began to fade and guilt replaced it. He turned back to the door and walked out in the hallway. "Your secret is safe with me, even if you tell everyone about mine. Sorry I snapped at you Sasuke…" he called back as he left.

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Thanks for reading the first chapter! I know there wasn't a whole lot of action, but I'm thinking next chapter might have a bit of something going on… not sure yet though!

Please Follow/Favorite/Review!

Check out my other stories too if you have the time/interest!


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, my friends! I'm so sorry that I've taken so long to update... college life...yaaaaay... I hate being an adult. People tried to tell me when I was little that I wouldn't like it and of course I didn't believe them. -_- stupid me I guess. Anyways, enjoy!**

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The Secrets We Hold

Chapter 2

As soon as Naruto had returned home he realized that he couldn't stay. There were villagers waiting outside his apartment, ready to yell insults at the very least. He took a deep breath, his blue eyes shutting tightly in pain and anger.

Instead of dealing with trying to get through the mob, or putting up with the landlord later over the destruction of property that would occur if anything became physical, the blonde turned and bolted towards the Hokage rock.

He'd learned very early in life that there were all kinds of secret passages and hidden rooms within the great stone faces. They were used for emergency situations only, like when the village was under attack, but he figured that his situation counted. In any case, if the Hokage did know that he stowed away there during times like this, he never said anything.

When he finally arrived, he released one of the seals and pulled open the old door with a loud creak, his lips pouting slightly at how dank and dusty the passage was. Holding onto his stomach again, he slowly entered the dark corridor and walked the familiar path to his hideout.

"Looks like I'll be here for two days this time… I guess I should get comfortable" he said to himself, his face glummer than usual.

* * *

Sasuke glared at the ground as he walked to the woods. He'd find Sakura since his attempts to find Kakashi had failed… maybe she would know where the sensei was.

He'd always been a brilliant child and had learned that the nine tails was sealed away by the fourth Hokage along with everyone else at the academy. It wasn't hard to put it together that Naruto was the baby used in the ritual once he looked at it objectively.

Naruto was the right age, was hated by literally everyone, and there was absolutely no way he defeated Haku without some form of assistance. He'd actually been bluffing some when he'd called the blonde out earlier, but his suspicions had been confirmed immediately.

Still, he couldn't understand why everyone treated him like a monster. If anyone, he himself had more of an evil disposition than the blonde idiot. Naruto couldn't hurt anyone unless he was protecting someone precious to him, and even then, it took a lot for him to be mad enough for his talent as a ninja to be effective.

"Where are you going Sasuke? You and Naruto didn't finish that assignment I gave you already, did you?"

The young Uchiha turned his head with sharp irritation. "No. We didn't." He spat back, recognizing the voice as that of his seemingly apathetic sensei. "Naruto was attacked and had to leave. I know you know what he is Kakashi, so why would you send him into town with me when he could have done Sakura's job!?"

The elder's eyes hardened, and he jumped over to where his favorite pupil was seething. Keeping his voice low, he replied equally as fiercely, "if Naruto wants to earn the villagers respect he can't hide in the woods. I expected you to protect him if anything went wrong."

Sasuke took a step backward in defense, feeling guilt and shame pooling in his stomach. He'd somewhat helped Naruto… pulling him out of the way of the second bottle and checking his wounds to see what he could do to fix them. But, he knew the truth. He'd hurt Naruto just as much as any villager with all his insults and then he even started to pick a fight by bringing up his hypothesis about the Fox.

"He… I… Naruto doesn't need me to baby him! Besides, he ran away from me! What was I supposed to do?"

Kakashi looked down at his feet and shook his head in disappointment. "Where did he go? Not back to his apartment I hope."

Sasuke's eyes darted back up, wide with panic. "What? Why?"

"There seems to be a mob starting outside the building. They didn't get their fill in earlier today it seems and went to his home to finish the job. And you let him go off on his own, even when you knew that people were growing increasingly violent so early in the day."

Again, the Uchiha's eyes fell to the ground, his teacher's words starting to make their way through him. "Anything could happen to him, and that dobe would probably let it after how he acted earlier." He thought to himself.

Without waiting for Kakashi to continue his lecture, the raven took off, his Sharingan flaring, searching for any sign of the blonde.

* * *

It had been hours since Sasuke had started looking for his rival, and the sun was starting to set. Still, for all his searching, there was no sign of the blonde. His hands began twitching in irritation and impatience. He needed release immediately, or he'd lose it.

His mind went back and forth as he continued his frantic search. "I've got to find him! He might be in trouble… but I… I've got to calm myself down. I need to get rid of this build up I'm feeling right now. But what if he needs me? No… Naruto would have gone someplace where he could be safe from the villagers right? Or would he stay in the open and accept their treatment like earlier? He did try to get out of being in the village earlier, so obviously, he didn't want to be hurt but… the look he had in his eyes when he left my apartment…"

The internal dilemma only increased his pent-up emotions, making his leg itch. As usual, his personal strife outweighed his concern for Naruto. He convinced himself that the blonde was safe for now and that he'd be far more effective after a good 'personal' session.

The Uchiha jumped back to his apartment quickly and locked himself in his bathroom, somewhat paranoid that someone would watch him like Naruto apparently had. Making a few hand signs, he superheated a flat knife and pressed it against his leg.

The skin boiled from the heat and turned black, burning deep down, filling the room with the scent of charred flesh. He hissed loudly, the pain bringing tears to his clenched eyes. But on the heels of the searing ache came an intense relief. All the rage, hurt, sadness and worry seemed to leave him through the smoke rising from the fresh wound.

He relaxed back against the tile, his face partially twisted from the still intense sting. A cheer in the distance roused him from the blankness he was experiencing, reminding him that the festival was starting and he'd yet to find Naruto.

Slowly, he got to his feet and limped to the cupboard. The burn medicine was right in the front, allowing him to quickly apply it before bandaging the injury. He'd have a limp but his determination to find Naruto was renewed now that he'd fixed his itch.

Once again, he took off through his open window, jumping off into the darkness of the night above all the party lights.

* * *

 **~ Time Skip: Two Days~**

Naruto walked to the bridge slowly. Normally, he'd have been ecstatic since he'd received notice that they would be having an out of town mission. But his last experience with his team had not been pleasant… well, specifically the one with Sasuke.

The conversation he'd had with the Raven rolled around in his sometimes-empty head. Not only had he called Sasuke out on his unhealthy habit, but the elder somehow knew about his status as a vessel. The Raven hadn't necessarily seemed hateful of what he was, but to be fair, he hadn't let him get very far before snapping at him and running away.

This would be their first encounter since that and Naruto was worried. What if Sasuke had told Sakura about it? Surely Kakashi already knew… he was old enough to have been present for the attack and maybe that's why he favored the other two over him. But the kunoichi already despised him enough.

Plus, she'd never be able to keep her mouth shut. Everyone their age would know in a heartbeat and then he'd really be alone. Only Iruka and maybe the Third would still treat him like a person that was worth the air being breathed.

He'd purposely come late though, attempting to be the last one to arrive. If Kakashi was there he'd put a stop to any terrible fighting that might take place. Sure enough, he was the last one to arrive.

"You're late Naruto!" Sakura screeched, smacking him on the head as usual.

The blonde hissed loudly, his head already throbbing. "Yeah, sorry Sakura! I didn't have my alarm clock, so I just didn't know the time. It won't happen again!"

His eyes searched his teammate's faces from under his golden hair, checking to see if Sasuke had indeed let his secret slip. To his relief, Sakura only seemed to be irritated about his tardiness and not anything else. Sasuke, on the other hand, was giving him a look he didn't quite understand.

His dark eyes were a mix of anger and happiness if that was even possible. It was like he couldn't decide whether he wanted to hit or hug him.

"Does he hate me because of the Fox spirit? Or is he upset about our argument? I don't know, this isn't like Sasuke. Usually, he just looks at something else, completely indifferent to me." He thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Sakura huffed but began explaining their assignment. They were to take a series of scrolls to the Land of Rice Patties Feudal Lord and then return with new ones that were there.

The four set off soon after, though Sakura quickly picked up on the tension. It was even more dense than usual. "What's the matter with you two? Usually, you have at least something to say Naruto. And Sasuke, even you are quieter today."

"I don't know, maybe it has something to do with Naruto skipping out on our last mission to run away." The Raven answered, his teeth grit tightly together in anger.

"Yeah, well I figured you'd be able to handle it Sasuke. I mean, unless you have some reason why you aren't able to perform to your usual standard" the blonde responded pointedly, his blue eyes side glancing at the elder's leg.

Sparks practically flew between the two before they both turned away, each worried that a continued verbal fight would lead to their secrets being spilled.

"Uhhh…" Sakura started, her face full of confusion.

"I think that silence might be our best option for now hm? What do you think Sakura?" Kakashi cut in, his lazy eye switching between the three.

* * *

"So… you decided not to tell Sakura about the Fox huh?" Naruto started.

They both sat on logs next to the fire they had started earlier that night. Kakashi and Sakura had already gone to bed, but after trying to sleep for nearly an hour, the blonde had decided that he couldn't keep up this silent feud any longer. It just wasn't in his nature to avoid anything, even uncomfortable talks like this.

"It's not like I could. You know my secret as well." Sasuke answered blandly.

"I told you in your apartment. I'm not going to tell anyone about what I saw, even if you tell everyone about me. I never go back on my word, that's my nindo, my nin- "

"Yeah, yeah, your ninja way. I already know that dobe."

Another silence stretched between them. It was less uncomfortable than it had been before, but there were still things that needed to be resolved.

"So, why are you doing that to yourself Sasuke?"

The elder almost growled at Naruto. He both hated and appreciated how blunt the blonde could be. This was one of the times where it was a nuisance. "It's none of your damn business Naruto. Just drop it."

"What the hell teme! I'm trying to help. Why can't you ever let me do that huh? What are you so afraid of?"

Sasuke's dark eyes became daggers as he whipped his head over to the younger shinobi. "What I'm afraid of? You're the coward. I couldn't find you for a whole two days because you were too busy hiding from villagers that even you could easily have put in their place."

The blonde's golden locks covered his hurt blue eyes as his head fell. A dry laugh escaped his lips before he answered. "You know… everyone says you're a genius, and I suppose in a lot of things you are. But think about what you just told me to do. Everyone thinks that I am the demon fox Kyuubi. What would I gain by beating up the people that already fear a power that I was given at birth... one that I didn't ask for… one that I can't control."

That familiar guilt built up inside him again, this time pushing all the way into his chest. The Uchiha turned his eyes back to the flames, knowing that for once the blonde's perception was right.

"Hn."

"So, you looked for me?" Naruto asked hesitantly.

The Uchiha felt his cheeks heat up some, realizing that he'd accidentally let his worry slip out. "Of course I did baka! What else was I supposed to do? You disappeared after having your skull bashed in."

Naruto smiled slyly, the previous tension melting away as he realized he'd gotten the stoic Raven to show his soft side. "Oh really? So, you were worried about me hm?"

"Just shut up dobe! It's not like that. Anyway, if you weren't such a loser I wouldn't have needed to look for you in the first place." Sasuke answered, his face becoming redder.

Naruto laughed loudly at his friend's obvious discomfort, then looked up at the starry sky in contentment. After several minutes of an easy silence, he spoke again, his voice soft.

"Well anyway, Sasuke… I really think that someone as strong as you should stop that. It's only making you weaker in the long run. Even an idiot like me could see that your hand to hand combat is suffering, and eventually, Kakashi is going to start questioning you, probably Sakura too. I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, but I do know about suffering, and I can tell you that harming yourself only works for a short while. Even if we hate each other, I'm always here if you need me."

The last of Naruto's words burned deeply into Sasuke's chest, hurting him even more than the wounds he inflicted with his fire-style. But just as when he self-harmed, a relief came with the pain, this time even greater than before.

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 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Again, not a lot of action but it's a build up to some smexiness I hope! Lol**

 **PLEASE: REVIEW/FOLLOW/FAVORITE**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it's taking me so long to update all my stories! I hope you haven't forgotten about them!**

 **Disclaimer: I Don't Own Naruto!**

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The Secrets We Hold

Chapter 3

~Time Skip: 1 Month~

The Chunin exams were right around the corner, and the whole team was on edge. Everything had gone somewhat smoothly after Naruto and Sasuke had their heart to heart, but there was still an air of tension between them.

The blonde had watched his friend closely, giving him a look every time he noticed the familiar limp in his step. But Sasuke couldn't stop even if he wanted to, it had become as necessary as the air they breathed for him. Even now he was itching to burn himself again, but the idiot just wouldn't leave him alone.

"Dobe… I told you to go home and leave me alone! You need to be preparing for the exam next week, not stalking me." He seethed, trying to put distance between him and the blonde.

"I know what kind of 'preparation' you are planning on doing and I know I said I'd leave you alone but not this time. If you aren't your best because you've hurt yourself then you put me and Sakura in danger. Secrets are fine, I mean hell I've got a big one, but not when they hurt those closest to you." Naruto argued, refusing to back down.

"Just shut up, loser!" Sasuke shouted, though inside he knew the blonde was right. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, his performance was not what it had been before he'd begun his little ritual, and the Chunin exams were supposed to be tough.

Naruto ran in front of his teammate and grabbed his shirt in his fists, shaking the elder slightly. "Come on, you're coming with me!"

Sasuke started to protest but then noticed how the villagers were glaring at Naruto, correctly thinking the blonde was bothering him. It wouldn't have been so bad, but he knew they would just use that as another excuse to hate the bubbling teen.

Gritting his teeth together, he gave in and let Naruto drag him where ever he was planning on taking him. It wasn't until the blonde's apartment came in sight that he started to drag his feet, dreading whatever the younger was planning.

"When I told you to go home I didn't mean to take me there with you!" Sasuke hissed, attempting to jerk out of Naruto's grip.

The blonde didn't pay him any attention though and unlocked the door, pulling them both into the messy living room. "Look, I can see that you're dying to hurt yourself and whenever I had thoughts of doing anything like that in the past I always felt better if I was with someone" Naruto explained.

Sasuke gasped slightly at the confession, he'd never thought that someone so carefree could feel so down. "You mean you…"

Naruto looked back at him with a small sad smile before heading into his room and rummaging through something. When he returned he had a deck of cards and a first aid kit. "Take off your pants and make yourself comfortable teme! We're going to have fun tonight!"

The Uchiha's jaw almost dropped, his face turning pink from the teen's words. _"Judging by the look on his face, he doesn't seem to know how sexual that sounded,"_ he thought. He sat down silently, still trying to get his thoughts under control.

"Teme! I said take your pants off, I need to take a look at your leg!" Naruto stated loudly as he shook the medical kit around.

Sasuke's face went from pink to white and then completely blank before being covered in a scowl, there was no way he would let Naruto see his injury, absolutely no way.

Sensing what the Uchiha was thinking, the blonde unzipped his jacket and pulled up his shirt, concentrating chakra around his abdomen until his seal appeared. He watched Sasuke swallow and examine the markings, slightly worried about what he was thinking.

"See…" he started carefully, "I know you won't judge me so you have to trust that I won't judge you either. It's okay, just let me look at them."

Sasuke lowered his gaze to his leg, debating on whether or not he should listen to the usually dense teen. "You didn't have a choice with your marks, I made mine voluntarily." He finally responded.

"That isn't the point, Sasuke… And besides, when that villager hurt me you tried to take care of my wounds and now it's my turn. You're my friend." Naruto pushed, once again refusing to take no for an answer.

Sasuke huffed but could see the resolve in his teammates face. The teen wasn't going to let him go home that night and probably wouldn't stop pestering him until he gave in. He got to his feet and undid his shorts, carefully pushing them off his hips before sitting back down with a pout on his lips.

Naruto, however, was smiling widely and bounced over. He carefully pushed up the cloth from Sasuke's boxers and then started undoing the bandage there, being careful not to grimace at the pitiful site.

"You really go all out on everything, don't you teme" he teased, doing his best to dispel the tension that was in the room as he gently cleaned the blistered flesh.

"Are you trying to piss me off?" Sasuke snapped back.

Naruto looked up through his lashes and gave a toothy grin, "I think I piss you off even when I'm not trying so I might as well have some fun with it, right?"

The Uchiha threw his head in another pout but felt the blonde's hands stop working on his leg. He looked back down to see the teen was deep in thought, sadness mixed into those blue depths.

"…Naruto?" he asked hesitantly, not wanting to come off too caring.

"Can I ask you something? And this time I really want you to answer." Naruto asked quietly.

Sasuke refrained from gulping down the lump that formed in his throat. Eventually, he was able to find his voice, though it remained weak. "You can ask, but I won't promise a response."

Naruto sighed, but accepted that was probably the best he was going to get from the Uchiha. "I know I irritate you, and I actually kind of enjoy our bickering sometimes, but, please… I'd never keep doing… Did… Did I cause this?" he finally managed to get out, his eyes shining in worry.

For the first time, Sasuke didn't care if he let his emotions get the better of him. It tore him up inside to think he'd given Naruto the impression this was his doing. Truthfully, it bothered him that the blonde was getting so strong when he felt like he was slowing down, but that wasn't his friends fault.

He put his hands on the blonde's shoulders and gripped them tightly, trying to convey how serious he was. "You are not to blame for my weakness, Naruto. No amount of fooling around would ever set me on edge enough to burn myself."

The blonde dropped his head some, but still stared at him intently. "So, you've never done this in response to something I've done?"

Sasuke gulped this time, and accidently let his guilt show.

"So, I have caused this…" Naruto concluded sadly, tears forming in his eyes.

"No, you… I mean… it was just the one time and it wasn't because you were pestering me! I just got so worried when I couldn't find you after hearing there was a mob at your apartment. But it… Naruto… I swear this isn't your fault."

The younger nodded his head, but it was obvious he still felt responsible. "I'm sorry, Sasuke…I was hiding like a coward and didn't know you were looking for me" he said returning to the wound he'd been cleaning.

Sasuke didn't know what else to say to convince his friend and felt that familiar itch return in full force. The impulse was so strong he started to shake, his hands now gripping the chair tightly.

"Naruto… I need…" he chocked out, his voice quivering in need.

The blonde returned his gaze to Sasuke's face, taking in how distressed the elder was. He slowly stood and whipped his wet eyes, having finished rebandaging the leg. Slowly, he reached out and pried one of the pale hands off his chair pulling the Raven to his feet as well.

Naruto kept going until they reached his bedroom before gesturing to the small bed. When Sasuke didn't move, he went ahead and climbed in, never letting go of his friend. Another small tug and the Uchiha was beside him.

They sat there for a short time before Naruto's small, tan hand pressed against the Raven's chest, pushing him onto his back. He could feel Sasuke's heart beating frantically beneath his hand, and knew the elder was still suffering.

"Just relax, it will pass if you just stay strong… I promise…" he whispered, tightening his grip on the Raven's shirt.

Sasuke's breathing was erratic, his eyes closed tightly. He reached down to scratch the fresh wounds, hoping that would be enough to satiate his need. But he was stopped by a firm, warm grip on his forearm.

"This isn't helping! Just let me do something you loser! I can't stand it!" Sasuke shouted, beginning to struggle.

Naruto sat up quickly and flipped to rest on the elder's lower legs, pinning his wrists above his head on the pillow. "No, you can do this, Sasuke!"

The Uchiha activated his Sharingan and glared deeply at Naruto, silently threatening him. He was so desperate for release that he wasn't thinking straight. The teens saddened face was stuck in his mind and the only thing he believed could get rid of it was to feel that searing pain again.

"Are you really going to try and attack me? You'd go that far just to hurt yourself?" Naruto asked accusingly.

Despite how crazed he felt, the blonde's words bore deep into him, _"No… that would only make it worse… But I… I can't…"_

A determined look covered the youngers face when the Uchiha didn't respond and he swiftly climbed off Sasuke before moving to his dresser, retrieving two kunai. He stomped back over and boldly handed one to his confused friend.

"Here… just go ahead and do it…" he ground out, eyeing the Raven intently.

Sasuke took it greedily, like an addict in withdrawal and quickly heated it before pulling back his boxers to attack the other leg. The crackling of burning flesh filled the room as he hissed in pain before letting the relief flood through him. His red eyes closed in contentment, the pounding in his chest subsiding.

"Ah!" he heard through his haze, pulling his attention back to the blonde. To his horror, Naruto's pants were off as well, a deep, gushing cut running across his tan thigh.

"What the fuck, Naruto!" he screamed, faltering as he tried to get out of bed.

The blonde panted, feeling a little light headed from the sudden blood loss. "You're stuck in the dark, stumbling around. I get it, Sasuke, really…. But I'm not going to let you suffer like that alone."

The Uchiha shook his head in disbelief and guilt, wishing he'd just listened to Naruto earlier, and never taken the kunai he'd been offered. "I…" he tried, his voice fading as his chest tightened again.

"Come on teme," the blonde said, a small smile forming on his face. "I'm sure you noticed that I'm absolutely terrible with medical stuff, so I'm going to need your help to clean this up" he finished, gesturing to his leg as he started limping back to the kitchen.

Sasuke stared after him, his mind unable to believe that the blonde would go so far for him. "B-but why? I've always been so cruel to you…" he questioned.

Naruto let his blush fade before turning around, "you're my friend, Sasuke, and I care about you."

The younger inwardly gulped, hoping the Raven would just leave it at that. Sasuke knew his big secret about the Nine Tails, but he had other secrets that he'd prefer stayed hidden, such as his crush on the stoic teen.

"Just come on… I'm actually getting kind of hungry so we should go out for ramen for dinner. Then we can focus on having a real sleepover instead of this wild stuff!" he finished, dragging the Uchiha after him.

* * *

Sakura had been looking everywhere for Sasuke, hoping that they could hang out after training. As she walked back to her house in disappointment, she heard the familiar laughing of her blonde teammate and looked over.

To her surprise, Sasuke was sitting beside him at the ramen stand, a mixture of sulking and mild amusement coloring his handsome face. She stomped over, irritated that they were having dinner together and didn't invite her, or more specifically, that she wasn't having dinner with Sasuke.

"Hey!" she screeched smacking Naruto on the head roughly. "Just want do you think you're doing bothering Sasuke?"

The Uchiha rolled his eyes, "leave him alone Sakura, can't you see we're busy?"

Naruto flinched when he saw the irritated look in his female teammates eyes, "the teme and I are just doing some of that team bonding you always talk about that's all… sorry we didn't invite you. I just figured you'd say no or have dinner with your family… or something…"

Sasuke watched the blonde intently, trying to determine if he should say something or not. Their eyes connected and he allowed the side of his mouth to twitch slightly, just barely hinting at a smile.

Apparently, it was all the support Naruto needed however, and his trademark grin returned, "let's get going teme! I'm going to kick your ass at Go-Fish tonight!" he exclaimed happily, completely ignoring the jealousy that poured from Sakura as she realized they must be having a sleep over of sorts.

The Raven smirked and gave his usual 'hn' but was kind of happy Sakura knew they'd be hanging out without her there. "Yeah, whatever dobe…"

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